The Forum diet club

[Connie]

Blimey, do I have to do everything round here?

Nah, it would be much more fun to see you trying to do or post nothing on here

[David Bailey]

Nah, it would be much more fun to see you trying to do or post nothing on here

Wow, seeing your forum progression is like watching one of those speeded-up growth films on telly

[Connie]

I saw that one, its called the second invasion of the Danes

[Lory]

Random thoughts, based on some of the (very good) posts above...

Us, who struggle with our weight, have often become that way because of our upbringing. Sweets, chocolate, roast dinners, cakes and party food are seen as treats, things we got for good behaviour or because it was a 'special' day or simply a way of someone showing us how much they cared for us.

I think the hardest battle is when you have low self esteem, is that you need to feel 'special' and cared for, so the natural action, is to eat our 'comfort foods but I'm learning that I have to think outside the box nowadays..

When i'm shopping now, instead of thinking ooh i want some crisps, nuts, chocolate etc., I try to think, Yum.... I'm going to treat myself to a fillet steak and exotic fruit! And I try my hardest to make my plate look 'nice' adding trimmings and garnishes etc.

I really empathise with all of you with young children, as I truly believe this is the hardest time of all. As you have very little time to be selfish and in reality, if you want to succeed at this, this is what you have to be. Which does go against the grain for most of us!

I was thinking the other day, if my kids were small again, how i'd do things differently.. (for their sakes, as well as mine) I think treats would be given in the form of 'my time' rather than 'food' for e.g., I'd say, if you do blah blah well, we can have a game hopscotch together or boxing on the Wii, or something like that.

Also, i'd never have sweets or chocolate in the house, especially if they were old enough to walk to the shops by themselves. I don't believe in denying children, as it makes these things even more 'special' but I'd say, OK, you can have some but you have to walk/ride your bike or skate to the shops and buy them and eat them on the way home. That way, they get some exercise and 'I' wouldn't have the temptation there, under my nose

[Double Trouble]

Great post Lory.

I had my best diet success when my three kids were young and I was a housewife. It's easy to plan meals and prepare low fat food that tastes nice when you are at home all day.

I struggle at the moment because it's difficult to plan ahead while working and juggling everything else too.

I've totally given up on my diet and don't know what to do next to get back in the zone. It doesn't help when the present Mr DT tells me I'm perfect as I am. Makes the cream cakes go down so much easier when the other half thinks you are a godess.

[Twirly]

It doesn't help when the present Mr DT tells me I'm perfect as I am. Makes the cream cakes go down so much easier when the other half thinks you are a godess.

with bells on!

Everytime I make a comment about my weight, my lovely Beo just tells me he loves my curves, bless him (it's the curves on the curves that worry me )

Mind you, it wasn't me who put weight on on holiday (that was burnt off by the stress of driving 800 miles only a few months after passing my test and getting my first car!)

[Lory]

I've totally given up on my diet and don't know what to do next to get back in the zone. It doesn't help when the present Mr DT tells me I'm perfect as I am. Makes the cream cakes go down so much easier when the other half thinks you are a godess.

As you say DT, you have to be in the zone and you and only you, can know when the time is right.

All I can say is, if your not happy with yourself, it really doesn't matter that everybody else in the world, IS.

And one last thing (and I'm in no way accusing you of this Gav, cos I think you genuinely love DT the way she is), some men don't like it when their lady looses weight, for a number of reasons...
.
You start to feel and act more confidently, cos your happy that your more in control of your life.

You may appear to act selfishly.. i.e. not 'always' cooking just 'their' favourite meals every night

You might unwittingly make them feel guilty about themselves, as you start to say No, to that extra drinkypoo or creamy dessert

Other men start to notice you

They may feel insecure as to your motives

[rubyred]

Just want to wish you all good luck. I lost about a third of what I am now some years ago, and although I don't want to be a size 10 anymore, I have found recently that the weight creeps up on you and before you know it you are buying biggers sizes, like I did for SP this time. However I know what I am doing wrong and should sort it out.

When I was losing weight I had to include exercise as part of my diet otherwise nothing would shift. Exercise will increase your metabolism and helps to balance things out.

I agree with throwing out the scales, my sister and I tried to encourage each other by having weigh ins but its laughable when we look back and check our starting weights are not much different to what we are now...almost eighteen months down the line. For me the test is my clothes and trying to lose inches.

Trouble, don't be too hard on yourself if you are giving up smoking as well as trying to lose weight, nicotine increases metabolic rates so I would guess,if you increase activity levels that might help to balance things out. When I gave up I put weight on but when the addiction died down a bit I tried to lose the extra weight, don't think I could have coped with trying both at the same time.The Slimming world diet is good and I found the red days were the ones which worked better for me.

Just want to add that it takes time and won't happen overnight, it took me about 18 months to lose my extra weight, so don't give up it will happen if you want it to and be good to yourselves.


Good luck everyone

[Gav]

I've totally given up on my diet and don't know what to do next to get back in the zone. It doesn't help when the present Mr DT tells me I'm perfect as I am. Makes the cream cakes go down so much easier when the other half thinks you are a godess.

And one last thing (and I'm in no way accusing you of this Gav, cos I think you genuinely love DT the way she is), some men don't like it when their lady looses weight, for a number of reasons...

I think we know someone like that

But seriously, I just want mrs. Gav to be happy. As she is now is good for me, as would be if she was at her target weight/size.

In fact, for dinner tonight I'm cooking Mustard pork steaks in cider on crushed new potatoes followed by amaretti & ricotta nectarines. All lovely and all low in calories.

[Mini Mac]

Hey

I thought I would start a thread for all those trying to lose some weight.
We can swap tips, progress reports, recipes and offer support to one another.
I was a member of another forum that had a similar thread that proved to be really helpful when I was shedding my baby weight.

I guess I'll start;
Hello, my names Zara and Im a food-aholic
I would like to lose 1 stone and 10lb's. I have started a calorie controlled diet today.

Look, I am so brave..... who next...

Hello I'm Becci and i think my friend Zara, is mad to think she needs to lose weight! Girl Youv got a lovely, healthy curvy figure, not like those size 0 girls you see in Heat or OK! Eat what you want, exercise by dancing and have fun! Food is nice! Zara you are booooootoful hun! xxxxxxx

[Reet Petite]

Hello I'm Becci and i think my friend Zara, is mad to think she needs to lose weight! Girl Youv got a lovely, healthy curvy figure, not like those size 0 girls you see in Heat or OK! Eat what you want, exercise by dancing and have fun! Food is nice! Zara you are booooootoful hun! xxxxxxx

You read my mind Becci ! What I would give to have a sexy womanly figure...stand back and appreciate your attributes ladies...some of us haven't been so blessed

Mxxx

[Jive Brummie]

Hi guys,

Always read with great interest threads about health and fitness...as that is my job!

If you need any helpful hints, tips or advice regarding weight loss feel free to give me a shout and I'll do my best to help you out. Don't all rush at once though...and expect some delay in response as my working day tends to be from 5:30 am - training people on the beach! to 10pm...when I'm keeling over due to fatigue (not the best advert I know!)

ANyway, there are certain things which may be of use to you all.

Healthy nutrition dictates that Carb's, Fat's and Protein's must be eaten at every meal. The modern western diet is carbohydrate heavy which has resulted in an increase in type II diabetes over the last 15-20 years. Not good. The reason for this is that a lot of people tend to go for the more refined forms of CHO (carbohydrate) which hammers the pancreas...which then pretty much gives up and makes you worry about blood sugar levels rather than 'it' worrying about blood sugar levels.

As a specialist in weight management, I always advise people to stear well clear of 'low-fat' foods as they contain more harmful additives, sugars, preservatives etc, than there 'full-fat' counter-part. In fact only today when I was guiding a client around the mine-field that is Tesco's, I picked up a weight-watchers meal thing and had a look at the ingredients list. On it was something called carageenan. This is a posh name for mono-sodium glutamate. A substance which is addictive in nature and has been researched to have significant effects on the brain and the appetite. MSG is in a lot of food and comes with many names...such as natural flavourings, yeast extract, hydrolised protein, whey protein isolate. A lot of other foods contain huge quantities of sugar. Many of these sugars are mildly addictive at best, at worst they can have major effects on the autoimmune system and one that springs to mind in particular (saccharin) is an 'anticipated human carcinogen'. Not ideal! If you chose sweeteners in your hot drinks instead of sugar...then don't! These contain things such as aspartame, ascesulfame-k, sucralose etc...none of which are any good.

Healthy weight loss should come from calorie imbalance. Realistically you should only reduce or burn no more than 500 calories per day (for men and women). Of that 500 calories, an extra 250 should be burned through physical activity and the other should come from a 250 calorie reduction in food intake...anything more than 500 calorie deficit and you are courting what is known as the 'starvation response'. This is the bodies way of shutting down its level of metabolic activity and effectively storing the most nutrient dense macronutrient (fat). The scales will show weight loss but that will be due to the fact that the body is effectively digesting itself from the inside out! Nice.

Whatever age, shape or sex you are...physical activity and a healthy lifestyle can be achieved by all. If you are new to the world of exercise...take things easy. Initially anything which raises the heart rate, creates breathlessness and increases core temperature should be beneficial. To those more experienced in the gym environment...don't let your fitness levels plateau...and so always try and push yourself that little bit harder. Set yourself small goals to achieve in every training session. These are really good when suffering with motivational problems.

And if in doubt...ask a nearby fitness instructor or even better a personal trainer.

One thing that I would say is that if you're tempted to go to a gym but are afraid...don't be..please. Gym's are not full of 'fit bronzed adonis'' type people...they're full of people like you and i workin hard to improve the quality of their lives.

Have fun guys, work hard, watch what you're eating and if you need any help then pm me or something.

Speak soon.

JB

[Thetruth]

I'm happy with my body shape

I have worked very hard to look the way I do, it hasn't been easy or cheep, and there nothing wrong with it, but i understand its not easy for a lot of people, it can depend on what's happening in our lives how strong we are feeling.

Have some compassion for people that aren't as wonderful as you, your understanding might just give them the strength they are looking for. Let me tell you! if you have had this attitude around people with a weight problem and they go on to loose it, they will always remember your attitude, I do, i'm still the same person on the inside, if I wasn't good enough when I was bigger i'm not good enough now.


Aint that the 'thetruth'

So to upset so many people............................................ .....but its all about what you want in life. Want to great job, then go and get that great job. Want to be a great swimmer then get in the pool and train. Want to be great shopper then get to the sales!
There is programme on TV in Oz called "the biggest loser". Dont know if its in the UK. The contestants are all overweight people who want to be fit and healthy. The object is to lose weight each week, its a bit like survivor the reality programme. The contestants are assigned trainers and the softly softly approach ultimately gives way to, "how much do you want it"? The contestants are soft and full of excuses to be the shape they are, but they hate themselves for their body shape. Losing weight is the only way for them to get their self esteem back. They cry and scream at the trainers, but when they lose weight they look past the pressure they were put under by the trainer and embrace them, thank them for pushing them so hard........................ Nor is it easy losing weight because of the mindset offering so many excuses (as evident by the post replies). If you want it, you'll get there.

[Thetruth]

You seem smug because you are fit , not overweight and seem to think everyone else should find it as easy as you do to be "like you" - and you choose to post this to a thread where people are talking about dieting. Its not big or clever. Just smug.

BTW my mum ran some of the most profitable slimming clubs in all of the UK in the 80's. Not that I would know anything about it, other than being more aware of calories than most people. I'm not about to preach based on my very limited knowledge

Also - while "TheTruth" may be accurate - you really need to speak to "TheTact"

Love your reply!!!!! but its not easy to be fit. I just made it part of my lifestyle and goals. Lifting weights and crunching abs is hard work. To say its easy would make me think why doesn't everybody do I've booked an appt with The Tact as suggested..................
I love how people tag and pass judgment with a lynch mob mentality...............sometimes the truth hurts and people just are not ready for it.....................got to see The Tact soon...............

[Thetruth]

50% because Im a pig

In my opinion your post was utterly pointless, smug and just plain horrible. Give people enough credit to assume that they know the basics of weight gain/loss. I started this thread as support for people who want it, not for those who think of themselves as 'fit', to gloat about it.

Ive been at target and I found it really hard to maintain, the compliments dry up, my willpower weakened and I got distracted...then the pounds creeped back on. This time last year I was over a stone and a half lighter But I do need to give myself some credit. I was 16 or more stone at one point

Zara xxx

Ouch!!!! I said less than you have said about yourself (see above highlights). So its okay to be extremely critical of yourself "50% because I'm a pig" but can't take my "smug, pointless, plain horrible post". Bit hypocritical.
Lighten up (Opps!)

[stewart38]

Love your reply!!!!! but its not easy to be fit. I just made it part of my lifestyle and goals. Lifting weights and crunching abs is hard work. To say its easy would make me think why doesn't everybody do I've booked an appt with The Tact as suggested..................
I love how people tag and pass judgment with a lynch mob mentality...............sometimes the truth hurts and people just are not ready for it.....................got to see The Tact soon...............

why dont you put something on your profile

Like your age where you dance and maybe a pic ?

Then we can all aim to be like you ?

I guess your 22

[fletch]

You read my mind Becci ! What I would give to have a sexy womanly figure...stand back and appreciate your attributes ladies...some of us haven't been so blessed

Mxxx

I can allways recoment a good surgeon

So to upset so many people............................................ .....but its all about what you want in life. Want to great job, then go and get that great job. Want to be a great swimmer then get in the pool and train. Want to be great shopper then get to the sales!
.

I agree to some extent on the comment, I believe if you want something badly enough you can achieve it, you just need to want it above anything else.

I am very happy with my life at the moment.

I can look myself in the mirror and know i'm trying to be the best person I can be.

I'm happy with my body, (at the moment)

I have just embarked on a relationship for the first time in 6 years.


I feel sometimes that I can conquer everest, I have come so far.

I like to think that I do it with love in my heart and i'm always there with a caring hug for anyone that needs it.

Your post's IMO have me across as arrogant and unsympathetic towards anyone who has a problem with weight, I took a new class last night and was talking to one of the ladies that can't seem to shift the last stone, 'Thetruth' is she has come so far and hasn't got that burning desire to shift it. so instead of been negative I reminded her of just how far she has come, if stopping the same is the best she can do right now, then she is in control

We all need a dream some of them turn into reality some we do the best we can.

Don't be so hard on people that aren't as perfect as you, I wonder is it lonely up there on your pedistal

why dont you put something on your profile

Like your age where you dance and maybe a pic ?

Then we can all aim to be like you ?

I guess your 22

double it S38 44 I belive

true beauty comes from within and whatever is in your heart will radiate through, I don't need a photo to see what's in 'thetruths' heart.

[stewart38]

double it S38 44 I belive

true beauty comes from within and whatever is in your heart will radiate through, I don't need a photo to see what's in 'thetruths' heart.

There are books written re shame based therories and tough love etc etc

A lot of what Truth says is correct but a lot of people who die from being over weight dont really want to die so sometimes the kick up the arse doesnt work.

We can all see programmes of people 50 stone who can no longer move , its complex sad frustrating angry etc

[Jive Brummie]

Hey guys,

Todays nutritional tip!

When shopping, if you have to do it in a supermarket (farm shops and local produce is the way forward), have a good look at the macronutrient tables. These are the things that state how much carbohydrate, fat and protein are in the food itself. Now after you've looked at that...completely forget it! That label is based on typical value...not real value and is also legally aloud to have a 20% margin of error!!!

Bit worrying.

Instead look at the ingredients label. A general rule of thumb is, the fewer the ingredients the better it is. An example would be a loaf of bread...now I'm no chef, but as far as I'm aware bread should contain flour, yeast, water and maybe some salt? Now if you can find a loaf in Tesco's or Asda or any other supermarket with as few ingredients as that, then you're doing a good job. The answer to it all...make and prepare your own food. That way you know the ingredients.

Taking on healthy nutrition is very difficult and you all have my complete support because it is hard. A nice idea is to build a good support network (such as the forum) where you can share your experiences with others and boost each others levels of motivation during the hard times. Include your friends and family as well and let them know that what you are doing is not going to be easy and that 'yes' it may effect your mood in various ways...but hopefully it will only be for a short time.

Good luck team.

JB

[Tiger Pants]

Right James, help me please. I am struggling with weight too but as you probably know my problem is putting it on. I don't want to do any more exercise than dancing but after being ill recently and losing over a stone and a half I am really struggling to put it on again. This has happened to me once before and it took months to get the weight on again. I feel skinny just now and don't like it. Presumably, I should follow the same advice re. good food but what else can I eat to help the situation ..... I'm already on at least 3 chocolate bars a day!

(Do you feel like an agony uncle yet?)